Mother’s Day Sweet potato and lavender sponge

If you’re one of the many devoted children across the country who are preparing to spoil your mum with a Mother’s Day feast this Sunday, you’ll be pleased to hear that we’ve found the perfect pud. Light, floral and delicious, this delicate sponge is simple, tasty and – thanks to the sweet potato – high in fibre and full of anti-oxidants, vitamin A, C and beta-carotene. Forget the homemade card this year and show mum how much you care with this beautiful creation from celebrity chef Felice Tocchini. After all, the proof is in the pudding…

You will need

100g butter, plus extra for greasing

75g caster sugar

75g brown sugar

50ml vegetable oil

2 eggs

150g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

½ tsp chopped dried or fresh lavender

200g sweet potatoes, grated

Method

Grease 6 pudding basins with butter then dust with flour, shaking out any excess

Beat together the butter, sugars and oil

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition

Fold in the flour and lavender

Add the sweet potatoes and combine

Pour the mixture into the prepared pudding basins. Cover each pudding with aluminium foil and cook in a steamer for about 40-45 minutes or until cooked

If you don't have a steamer cover the bottom of a deep roasting tray with kitchen paper, place the puddings on the paper and fill the tray with water half way up the pudding moulds #Cover the tray with foil and place in a preheated oven 180°C/gas mark 4 for 40-45 minutes

Remove the puddings from the moulds and serve with a dollop of crème fraîche.

Tips:

Substitute the lavender with any other spice that you like for a different flavour

These little puds freeze beautifully, and can be warmed up in a microwave

It's easy enough to decide you want to eat well - the hard part is finding the right foods to keep you healthy and satisfy your tastebuds. The Treatwell Tasters have lots of food and drink ideas to have you looking good, feeling good and bursting with energy in no time. And no, they don't all involve wheatgrass.